Boule

Boule

76% hydration, 50 min bake, 230°C, makes 1 loaf

Ingredients

Makes 1 loaf

flour    420g
water    320ml
salt     9g
yeast    2g

Use strong white bread flour. It makes a difference.

Dough

Follow the baguette recipe steps 1-3 using the ingredients above, keeping the full batch as one loaf rather than dividing into two.

Same day (about 4 hours): use 7g yeast instead of 2g. After the folds, skip the overnight fridge and leave to bulk rise somewhere warm for 1.5 to 2 hours until doubled. Then shape, prove and bake as below. A little less depth of flavour, but a crusty loaf in an afternoon.

Shaping

Pre-shape. Turn the dough out and shape into a rough round using a bench scraper. Leave uncovered on the work surface for 20 minutes.

Uncovered so the surface dries slightly, making the final shape easier to handle.

Final shape. Flip the dough, fold the edges in towards the centre, then flip seam side down. Cup your hands around it and drag it towards you to build surface tension. Place seam side up into a well-floured banneton. Even if skipping the prove, the banneton holds the shape while the pot preheats.

Prove

Cover and leave 1/2 hours at room temperature, or return to the fridge overnight.

If the dough has been cold fermenting for 2/3 days and is active and bubbly, skip this step. Shape, place in the banneton and leave to rest while the Dutch oven comes to temperature, about 30 minutes.

Bake

1. Place the Dutch oven with its lid in the oven and preheat to 230°C for at least 30 minutes.

2. Set your sling on the work surface and tip the banneton upside down onto it so the dough lands seam side down.

3. Score the top with a single deep cut or cross using a sharp blade or lame. Go at least 1cm deep, confident and quick.

Blade straight down, not angled.

4. Lift the sling by both ends and lower the dough into the hot pot. Tuck any excess paper down inside the pot, put the lid on and bake for 30 minutes.

5. Remove the lid, drop to 210°C and bake for a further 20 minutes until deep golden. Lift out using the sling and cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before cutting.

A 26cm pot fits the full batch comfortably. Rice flour is best for lining the banneton as it doesn’t absorb into the dough.
A silicone bread sling is worth buying for Dutch oven baking. Search “Dutch oven bread sling” on Amazon. No sling yet: cut a strip of baking paper about 30cm wide and long enough to hang over both sides of the pot with enough to grip. Place it under the dough before you score, then use both ends to lower it in.
To bake two back to back: keep the second dough in the fridge while the first bakes. Reheat the pot for 5 minutes before the second loaf goes in.